How to Thin Nail Polish

Co-authored by Kristin Pulaski

Last Updated: July 9, 2024 Approved

Like many cosmetics, nail polish that has been exposed to air will lose its effectiveness over time. Old nail polish will become thick, clumpy and difficult to apply. Fortunately, there are a simple few beauty tricks that you can try to extend the life of your nail polish. To thin nail polish, try warming the bottle using your hands or hot water if the polish just recently started separating, or add small amounts of nail polish thinner to the bottle when dealing with older polish that no longer responds to these warming techniques. Properly storing your nail polish will also reduce future clumps.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Using Quick, Temporary Fixes

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Keep flipping it upside down and right-side-up for two to three minutes.. Sometimes, this is all your nail polish needs in order to get revived.
The warmth from your hands will create a thinner consistency and help make it easier to spread on your nails. Never shake the bottle, as this will create tiny bubbles.

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Make sure that the bottle is tightly closed, and hold it by the cap so that you don't burn your fingers. The hot water will warm the nail polish up and make it easier to spread on your nails.
Allow the first coat to dry before applying a second one. If the polish is too thick or clumpy, keep reading to learn what to do next.

Part 2

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Using Long-term Fixes

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1
Open the nail polish bottle and add two to three drops of nail polish thinner.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Kristin Pulaski
Salon Owner & Nail Specialist

Expert Interview. 19 May 2020.}</ref> Use an eye dropper to measure out the drops. You can find nail polish thinner in most drug stores and beauty shops.
- If you are going to thin gel nail polish, use gel nail polish thinner. Gel nail polish has a special UV reactive makeup, so using regular nail polish thinner may prevent it from working properly.
2
Use acetone or nail polish remover as a last resort. Both can ruin the nail polish and cause it to crack when it dries.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Kristin Pulaski
Salon Owner & Nail Specialist

Expert Interview. 19 May 2020.} If you use acetone or nail polish remover, you will most likely need to toss your polish out after a few more uses.
- Do not use acetone or nail polish remover to thin gel nail polish.
Do not shake the bottle, as this will create air bubbles. If the thinner is not mixing into the polish, try turning the bottle upside down a few times.
If the nail polish is still thick, open the bottle and add another two to three drops. Close the bottle again, and roll the bottle between your palms to mix the thinner into the polish.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Kristin Pulaski
Salon Owner & Nail Specialist

Expert Interview. 19 May 2020.}
If your nail polish is very thick, and you have already repeated the process a few times, try letting the thinner sit in the polish. Simply open the bottle, add two to three drops of nail polish thinner, and close the bottle. Let the bottle sit for one hour, then mix the thinner into the polish by rolling the bottle.
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Save the brush by dipping it in acetone. Fill a glass or ceramic cup with acetone. Do not use plastic, or the acetone will melt it, and do not use a cup that you plan on drinking out of later. Dip the brush into the acetone and swish it around. The dried nail polish should dissolve and fall off. If there is any residue, you can remove it with a paper towel; do not use a cotton ball or a cotton pad. When you are done, put the cap back into the bottle. The residue acetone will help thin out the polish inside the bottle.^{[4]
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- Acetone may ruin the nail polish. It might be a good idea to do this when the bottle is almost empty.
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Know what to do if you made the polish too thin. If you used too much thinner and made your nail polish too thin, all you have to do is let some air back into it. Take the brush out first and clean it with some nail polish remover. Wrap the brush with some plastic wrap, and leave the nail polish bottle, opened, in a quiet spot. Check back on it after a day. The air in the room will make it thick again.
- Sometimes, you may need to leave the bottle open for a few days. This will depend on how hot, cold, dry, or humid the room is.

Part 3

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Storing Nail Polish Properly

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Nail polish will eventually expire on its own, but there are a few things you can do to make it last longer. This section will give you some tips on how to properly take care of your nail polish so that it does not dry out again as fast.
This will remove any excess polish. If you don't do this, the polish may dry on the neck and make the bottle difficult to close. This will cause air to get trapped inside the bottle, which will make the polish dry out faster.
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Store the nail polish in a cool, dry place. Do not keep it in the bathroom; the temperature changes too much, too often. Instead, try keeping nail polish in your desk drawer instead.^{[5]
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- Use caution if storing it in the refrigerator door. The cold climate may help the polish last longer, but it is also a closed-in space. If the polish breaks in the fridge, you may have a potential fire hazard due to the fumes.^{[6]
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When storing your polish, it is important to leave the bottles standing upright. Leaving them on their sides will cause the polish to flow into the neck. This may cause the polish to dry and make the bottle harder to open.^{[7]
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Do not leave it open while you are waiting for your manicure to dry. Nail polish dries when air touches it, so the less contact your polish has with air, the better.

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Question

What can I use instead of nail polish thinner?

Kristin Pulaski
Salon Owner & Nail Specialist
Kristin Pulaski is a Professional Nail Artist and the Founder of Paintbucket, a self-owned and operated nail salon based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. She has over five years of experience running Paintbucket and is licensed as a nail technician. Paintbucket offers nail art manicures, pedicures, and soft gel extensions along with customized packages for wedding and bridal parties. She holds a BA in Managerial Science from Manhattan College.

Kristin Pulaski

Salon Owner & Nail Specialist

Expert Answer

You can put a few drops of acetone into the nail polish and mix it together, but this will make the quality of the polish a little worse.

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Can I add water to thin the nail polish?

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No, because polish is alcohol-based; it won't blend properly, and will affect the quality of the polish.

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Can I thin a bottle of top coat polish, as it has the drying agent in it?

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In my experience, no. When I tried what you suggested, my polish got too clumpy and dried out.

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Tips

Chill your nail polish in the refrigerator before use. Refrigeration helps to reduce solvent evaporation and pigment caking and settling.

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Dark-colored nail polish tends to clump faster than light or clear. This is because it has more pigments in it.

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When wearing nail polish, keep in mind that nail polish tends to wear away faster. Thick nail polish, however, tends to chip more.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

If you don't have nail polish thinner, you can just add a little nail polish remover to thin it. It doesn't fade the color out (unless you add loads!) or affect how long it lasts. Just add it a bit at a time to make sure you don't start to thin the color too much.
Older nail polish often contains chemicals such as formaldehyde and toluene. Make sure to use a thinner that is specially formulated for these types of polishes. Thinners formulated without these chemicals in mind can mess up your polish.

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Warnings

Avoid using acetone or nail polish remover to thin the polish.

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Do not shake your nail polish bottle. This creates air bubbles.

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Sometimes, nail polish is beyond saving, and must be thrown out.

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Nail polish can expire. Do not use polish that has separated, thickened, or smells bad.^{[8]
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Nail polish thinner may not be effective on glittered nail polish. In most cases, glittered nail polish is beyond saving and must be replaced.^{[9]
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